I love how God uses nature like the physical seasons, to teach us about the different spiritual seasons in our lives.
The important thing is to understand WHAT season it is we are in so that we can navigate it with wisdom, knowing what His will is for us in that season. It’ll give us courage and faith to walk through that season well.
I believe all 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, can give us insight into the spiritual seasons we may go through.
- SPRING:
Spring is a season of new beginnings and fresh starts.
It’s a time of coming out of the harsh trials of winter that you thought would never end. Flowers start to appear and dormant plants begin to grow. It’s a season of renewed hope in God and His promises.
Whether it’s a new relationship, a new work opportunity or a newborn baby – this season is easy to have gratitude as God’s promises begin to unfold in our lives.
- SUMMER:
Summer is a season of God’s full blessing and favour, that shines down on us like the warm rays of sunshine.
A time when all is going well and everything seems perfect. This is a season of rest and refreshing, a time where we are strengthened for perhaps the tougher seasons ahead.
It’s so easy to get comfortable and lazy in these seasons as we don’t ‘need’ God as much. Don’t forget about God! Keep pressing into Him and get to know Him more. These summer seasons have often held me in the difficult times where I’m reminded of a verse or something he had revealed to me before.
As your cup is filled to overflowing be sure to pour out to others’ lives, don’t become small! Be generous!
- AUTUMN:
Autumn is a season when the trees begin to lose their leaves.
This is a time of change which brings along with it some discomfort. Maybe it’s moving away from everyone you know or letting go of a relationship that hasn’t been working.
These seasons teach us to lean on Jesus. We may lose a lot but we gain a greater dependence on God and learn to be less self-sufficient.
These times can often be confusing but we need to learn to let go of control.
Prov 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”
As things start to change around us, cling to the one thing you do know – that He is good!
Then yield and surrender and allow Him to lead you in this season.
- WINTER:
Winter can represent difficult times which require much resilience from us.
As much as the physical world needs winter, so do we! It’s the really hard trials of life that help us grow the most. God is often doing deep work in us through the cold, dark, wintery trials and He sometimes wants certain things to die in our lives that aren’t helpful.
Winter seasons can look like illness, loneliness or losing a loved one. This is the most difficult season because it can cause a lot of doubt and confusion – we question “Does God really care?” Or “Is he still with us?”
Remember, feelings and circumstances change but He never does and neither does His word!
Let’s change our perspective in this season. The Bible says in James 1:2-4:
“we should “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds…””
Why is this?
“…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete…”
Your trial is producing something – there’s a purpose in your pain! God wants to mature you for what’s to come!
Although it feels like winter lasts forever, it does come to an end and brings in the new season of Spring, a fresh start.
Each season has importance in our lives and God uses them all to grow and shape us to be more like Him.
Let’s understand what season we are in and navigate them with wisdom, knowing God’s will for us and allowing Him to work through us.
All for His glory!